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COPD and Other Stuff This is a patient-to-patient blog to exchange information and resources…from COPD to Arthritis to Cellulites to Sarcoidosis to Sleep Apnea to RLS to Psoriasis to Support Groups to Caregivers and all points in between.

Tag Archives: Foradil

Glimpses of a patient’s life and the medical folks who helped
save my life. The University of Washington Medical
Center(my lung doctor is here) and the Cancer
Alliance of Seattle worked together to give me a life
again.

One of the cheeriest technicians I have been around is right
there at the University of Washington Medical
Hospital.Washington State first
class teaching hospital. The U – students and staff – alike
is loaded with inquisitive, open minded, brilliant medical doctors
teaching students to seek answers to patient’s medical woes.

Of the tremendous group of my tumor surgical medical team, this
superb doctor stood out by his mention and appreciation of my first
iPad covered Otter when he spotted it at my bedside table. I
appreciated his comments and conversation about a non-medical
related product. Btw… I think younger people are generally
surprised many of us older folks appreciate and use new
technology.

The view from my window was of one of my favorite bridges, the
Montlake Bridge by the U. Beautiful views helped
lessen the pain.

Need you ask? This is without doubt the best-arranged
toilet area of any I have had the privilege to know and love. The
shower is just on the other side of the low wall. The toilet
was at a comfortable height and I let go of the walker, hung on to
the low wall, and grasped the support bar on the other side.
I gently lowered myself and my new equipment onto the throne.

The day I was standing by the bathroom door when my incision
opened and the blood flow began through the popped seal to the
machine. The bloody fluid flowed through the fingers I had
pressed against the gaping open belly wound trying to hold stuff in
where it belonged. Instead, bloody fluid flooded the
floor and formed running rivers downhill through my room.

The professionals who answered my call light moved swiftly to
stem the bloody flow and no one raised a voice in alarm – not
one. I was immobilized in place hanging on to the pole with
one hand and feeling the warm blood rush through the fingers of the
other. The warm blood flowed on down my legs while they
quickly, quietly told me where to move. They did their job
with aplomb and took care of a horrified patient…like another
normal day. I had an incredible feeling of well-being in
spite of the thought other belly parts and stuff might flow past my
open fingers over the wound trying to hold back the blood
flood.

Checkout day… the dried remains of one of the bloody flows
remain under my soon to be vacated bed.

…Inhalers are important to lung patients.
The order we take them is also important. I mention it here
because my inhalers are rarely dispensed in proper order for the
full benefit of my lungs. Luckily, I know the right order to
take them and do pass on that information.

I take Foradil first – a fast acting inhaler
few nurses have heard of. It is one of the best for me –
opens my airway fast. Spiriva is long
lasting and second, while Qvar (inhaled steroid)
is third.

Harrison Medical Center, University of Washington
Medical, and Martha and Mary in Poulsbo – none
dispense Foradil…and I do not understand why.

I hope patients and med dispensing folks using other inhaler
combinations see they are taken properly.

One nurse told me she did not know there is a proper order to
taking inhalers. Why not? One possible
answer… If I were in the cancer area recovery, the nurses
would be cancer oriented, not lung patient oriented for
inhalers.

One of the terrific and friendly docs from my informative
medical team. Another super University of
Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance doctor that I
cannot name due to misplacing my notes/business cards.

Kristin, physical therapist…

Meet Gretchen, one of the outstanding
nurses I had and now, my discharge nurse. She is putting
together the little vac machine that will collect the fluid from
the tube sealed inside the unstapled lower belly surgery
site. I will wear it day and night for the next few
months…while Harrison Home Health nurses will change it out every
three days, per doctor orders.

Gretchen showing how the vac – the entire
devise works.

Gretchen read directions and showed me how to change the
container when it got full of the bloody belly fluid. I was
told an alarm would sound first giving me plenty of time to take
care of it.

That said…My first and primary medical condition involves my
lungs – COPD first and
Sarcoidosis second. I will not do any
surgical procedure that involves anesthesia without my
pulmonologist as part of the discussion as a consultant.
While Karen Eady, MD, is my wonderful primary
doctor, right here in Kitsap County, Christopher
Goss, MD is my lung doc at the U .
Thanks to you all!

Harrison Home Health. Part 4 of 4,
next time.

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara

Good-bye and thank you, Lisa Marie. You’ve moved on to
a fabulous person and forever home, and we’re grateful
for the eight years we had with you. Mom S

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About This Blog

This is a patient to patient blog to exchange information and resources...from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) to Arthritis to Cellulites to Sarcoidosis to Sleep Apnea to RLS to Psoriasis to Support Groups to Caregivers and all points in between. Written by Sharon O'Hara.